Genesis VIN Decoder
Enter any 17-character Genesis VIN. Free US-market Genesis VIN decoder backed by the official NHTSA VPIC database — engine code, assembly plant, model year, body class, and every open recall, in about 30 seconds.
How to read a Genesis VIN
A Genesis VIN, like any modern road-vehicle VIN, is 17 characters split into three blocks: the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) in positions 1–3, the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) in positions 4–9, and the Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) in positions 10–17. Here's a real Genesis VIN broken down position by position.
1K2M3T4G53647L8A9010L11U120130140150160171
| Position | Chars | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | K | Country of origin K = South Korea. Genesis vehicles are built at Ulsan, South Korea: KMT (cars — G70 / G80 / G90) and KMU (SUVs — GV70 / GV80 / GV60). The older 2009-2016 Hyundai Genesis used KMH (also K = South Korea) but decodes as Make = HYUNDAI. CheckMyVIN reports the actual Plant Country from VPIC rather than inferring it from this letter. |
| 2-3 | MT | Manufacturer (WMI) MT = Genesis car within the KMT World Manufacturer Identifier. Other Genesis WMIs: KMU (Genesis SUVs — GV70 / GV80 / GV60). The KMH stem belongs to Hyundai (including the pre-2017 "Hyundai Genesis"), which decodes as Make = HYUNDAI. The model line is encoded in positions 4-8, not at the WMI level. |
| 4-8 | G34LA | Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) Encodes the model line, body style, restraint system, and engine/drivetrain. Genesis does not publish a public VDS-to-trim table, so CheckMyVIN does not guess that "G34LA" means a specific trim — instead it reports the Model, Trim, and Engine that NHTSA VPIC returns directly (for this VIN: G70 with the 2.0L turbo). |
| 9 | 0 | Check digit A mod-11 checksum computed from the other 16 positions. NHTSA uses it to reject typos before returning a decode — if the check digit is wrong, VPIC flags an error and CheckMyVIN treats the entry as an unreadable VIN. |
| 10 | L | Model year L = 2020. The full year-code table is below. The 30-year ISO cycle skips I, O, Q, U, Z and 0 to avoid confusion with similar-looking characters. |
| 11 | U | Assembly plant For this VIN the plant character maps to Ulsan, South Korea — the Hyundai Motor Group complex where Genesis vehicles are built. CheckMyVIN reads Plant City and Plant Country straight from the VPIC record rather than inferring from position 11; essentially the entire Genesis range is currently Ulsan-built. |
| 12-17 | 000001 | Production sequence A 6-digit serial number that increments through the model year at that plant. Not meaningful on its own, but together with the year and plant it confirms the VIN is internally consistent. |
VIN year codes (position 10)
The 10th character of every modern VIN encodes the model year. The cycle skips the letters I, O, Q, U and Z, and the digit 0, to avoid being confused with similar digits. This table covers every model year currently on US roads.
| Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2010 | H | 2017 | R | 2024 |
| B | 2011 | J | 2018 | S | 2025 |
| C | 2012 | K | 2019 | T | 2026 |
| D | 2013 | L | 2020 | V | 2027 |
| E | 2014 | M | 2021 | W | 2028 |
| F | 2015 | N | 2022 | X | 2029 |
| G | 2016 | P | 2023 | Y | 2030 |
Genesis WMI codes (positions 1–3)
The first three characters of the VIN identify the manufacturer and country of assembly. Genesis uses several WMI codes depending on plant and model line.
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| KMT | Genesis car — South Korea (Ulsan; G70, G80, G90) |
| KMU | Genesis SUV — South Korea (Ulsan; GV70, GV80, GV60) |
| KMH | Hyundai (incl. the 2009-2016 Hyundai Genesis, before the standalone brand) — decodes as Make = HYUNDAI |
Genesis build sheet & options
A full Genesis build sheet — original Monroney options, paint code, interior color, the Lexicon audio package, and the various trim / package bundles (Advanced, Prestige, Sport) — is not part of the federal NHTSA VPIC dataset. CheckMyVIN can confirm the model, trim, engine family (2.0L / 2.5L turbo four, 3.3L / 3.5L twin-turbo V6, the older 5.0L V8, or the electric drive in the GV60 / Electrified models), drive type (RWD or AWD), assembly plant, model year, body class, and recall history pulled live from NHTSA. For the original window sticker your authoritative source is a Genesis retailer, who can pull the build specification from the VIN. Genesis also publishes its official US owner site at genesis.com. CheckMyVIN never claims options data it cannot verify against the NHTSA record.
Genesis VIN decoder FAQ
Is the Genesis VIN decoder free?
Yes — every Genesis VIN lookup on CheckMyVIN is free, with no signup, no email gate, and no usage cap for individual users. Data comes from the public NHTSA VPIC API. The optional "full vehicle history report" link at the bottom of each report is an affiliate to a paid third-party history service; you can ignore it.
How do I read a Genesis VIN (G70, G80, GV70, GV80)?
A Genesis VIN is 17 characters: position 1 is the country (K = South Korea), positions 2-3 are the WMI (MT = Genesis car, MU = Genesis SUV), positions 4-8 are the model/engine descriptor, position 9 is the check digit, position 10 is the model year (L = 2020 in the worked example above), and position 11 is the plant. Enter any 17-character Genesis VIN above and CheckMyVIN reads every field via the official NHTSA database — that is the same thing as a Genesis VIN number decoder, VIN lookup, or VIN check.
Where is the VIN located on a Genesis?
Three places on a Genesis: the dash plate at the base of the windshield (read it from outside, driver side), the driver door-jamb certification sticker, and the title / registration. The MyGenesis app also shows the VIN under vehicle details. The 17-character VIN is the legal identifier.
Does an older "Hyundai Genesis" decode here as Genesis?
No. The 2009-2016 Hyundai Genesis sedan and the Genesis Coupe were Hyundai-branded (Make = HYUNDAI, KMH WMI) and predate the standalone Genesis brand — they decode on the Hyundai page. Only 2017-and-later standalone-brand vehicles return Make = GENESIS. Either way, enter the VIN and CheckMyVIN reads the correct Make from NHTSA automatically.
What does the 10th character of a Genesis VIN mean?
The 10th character is the model-year code, following the ISO 3779 cycle every manufacturer uses: A = 2010, B = 2011, … L = 2020 (the worked example above), … Y = 2030. The cycle skips the letters I, O, Q, U, Z and the digit 0 to avoid confusion with similar-looking characters. It tells you the model year, not the build date.
How do I find my Genesis engine and paint code from the VIN?
The engine family is reported by VPIC — CheckMyVIN shows the engine model NHTSA returns (2.0L / 2.5L turbo four, 3.3L / 3.5L twin-turbo V6, or the electric drive in the GV60 and Electrified models). The paint code is NOT in the VIN: check the paint label in the door jamb / engine bay, or ask a Genesis retailer to look it up from the VIN. CheckMyVIN never guesses an engine or paint code the VIN does not encode.
Can I check Genesis recalls with the VIN?
Yes. Every CheckMyVIN report runs the VIN against the live NHTSA recall API and lists any open campaign for that model and year (Hyundai files Genesis campaigns under Hyundai Motor America). You can also browse worked Genesis examples on the /genesis/recall page — the G70 ABS-module and the 3.3L turbo oil-feed-pipe campaigns are ones to confirm — then run your own VIN.